1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to small watercraft. More particularly, the present invention relates to a structure and an arrangement of storage compartments within a hull of a small watercraft.
2. Description of Related Art
Personal watercraft have become increasingly popular in recent years. This type of watercraft commonly includes a small hull which mainly comprises a lower hull section and an upper deck section. These small watercraft generally have at least one storage compartment within the hull.
The storage compartment is generally a container arranged to lie within the hull of the watercraft. The container commonly has sidewalls and an open top surrounded by a flange. The flange extends from the side walls of the container. The upper deck section of the hull has an opening with a circumferential member. The container is inserted into the opening such that the flange of the container rests atop on the circumferential member of the opening. The container is thus removably supported by the upper deck, and a compartment is defined within the hull below the deck. A lid or hatch is provided to cover the opening of the container. The lid inhibits an influx of water into both the hull and the container. Because the container is removable, the opening on the upper deck section can also be used as an access way into the interior of the hull when internal components of the watercraft require servicing.
In prior personal watercraft, the storage compartment thus is simply a container inserted into the opening. The size of the container therefore is limited by the size of the opening formed in the upper deck section. Riders of personal watercraft, however, continue to desire more storage area as these watercraft are being used in more diverse ways. A need therefore exists to provide more storage area on the watercraft.
The present watercraft design provides for enlarged storage capacity without increasing the overall hull design or weakening the hull""s strength. It is appreciated that an enlarged opening in the watercraft bow may reduce the strength of the hull. However, because the front end of the watercraft generally slopes upward on the upper deck section and downward on the lower hull section, unused space usually exists within the interior of the bow. The present watercraft design therefore takes advantage of this space, or other space in the hull, to enlarge the storage compartment space of the watercraft, without weakening the strength of the hull.
In one mode, the small watercraft comprises a hull including a lower hull portion and an upper deck. The upper deck has a bow portion and a rider""s area positioned on an aft side of the bow portion. A raised pedestal is provided on the hull in the rider""s area and a seat assembly is supported by the raised pedestal. The seat assembly includes a seat that is configured to accommodate at least one rider. A container is affixed to the upper deck and has an upper perimeter edge. An access opening is formed in the upper deck and opens into the container. A hatch is movably coupled to the upper deck so as to be moved between closed and open positions. In the closed position, the hatch covers the opening. In the opening position, the hatch permits access into the compartment through the opening. The opening has a smaller area than the area defined by the upper perimeter edge of the container so as to inhibit the intake of water into the container while providing a larger storage space than that which would correspond to the footprint of the accessing opening. This also is done without weakening the deck portion.
These and other features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and claims.